This time of the year is bittersweet. Sadly, the lovely yellow goldenrods (Solidago) that decorated flower beds and roadsides have been cut down by frosts and freezes. On the other hand, those same freezes knocked out the ragweed that makes me sneeze hard enough to knock the earth off its axis.
Because these two bloom at the same time, goldenrod takes the rap for allergy-sufferers’ misery. The true culprit is ragweed. Goldenrod is pollinated by bees. Its pollen is heavy. Ragweed pollen is airborne and easily inhaled. A single ragweed plant can produce over a billion grains of pollen - lots of sneezes!. There are exceptions, but usually a plant that is bee-pollinated (as opposed to air pollinated) does not have pollen that floats on every breeze, spreading misery to sensitive sinuses. Ragweed blooms look similar to goldenrod, but they remain green and never change to gold. Gardeners can learn to distinguish between the two because ragweed leaves and branching structure differ from goldenrod.
Goldenrod is easily grown and perennial to zone 4. The roadside ditch varieties have given way to modern cultivars that are shorter, bushier and longer-blooming. These improved introductions spread less aggressively than their wild cousins, but they still colonize the surrounding soil with a fibrous web of rhizomes. Don’t plant them in locations where they can choke out weaker plants.
Goldenrods prefer full sun but will accept some shade. Once established, they are quite drought tolerant. Plants range from two feet to six feet in height, depending upon the variety. They are not picky about soil, and even seem to prefer heavy, acidic clay. The golden color combines particularly well with blue, so an easy combination includes asters, which bloom at the same time of the year. The taller variety looks good with purple Ironweed (Vernonia) and Mexican Bush Sage (Salvia leucantha).
‘Fireworks’ was introduced by the NC Botanical Garden and is widely available. It is on the taller end of the spectrum, reaching four feet or more. ‘Peter Pan’ and ‘Little Lemon’ are petite, reaching 18-24 inches.
Bonus points: Deer leave them alone.
Goldenrod blooming in the Mary Snoddy garden